Off-Topic Forum

I have literally overhauled everything about the original post. Some elements may be the same, but there are a bunch of new things about it. Heck, even my foreword is different. This has taken me over three days and 28 hours to research and write this 39 page piece. I hope that you like it.

 

Update 8 hours in: Well, you’d better appreciate this. I’ve been at this since 8 a.m. It is 4:08 pm as I am typing this and I still have 36 people + Bill Freehan Vs Simmons and Munson to go. This is going to be a while more.

Update 20 Hours in: You had better like this. I have worked 20 hours so far on this post. I am quite literally 5 players away from being done.

Update 26 Hours in: I have edited everyone, again. I added new statistics to the players as well.

If you want to see more analysis of players or on baseball history, please tell me. I am going to be posting another “post” (Really these are turning into articles) on people who were banned from baseball, then maybe one on steroid users and their careers. If those also go over well, I may as well make a blog and post similar things on it.

I am fully aware that my analysis of these players is flawed. Any statistical analysis is flawed. I have never seen any of these players on the field, so I cannot say that they were amazing to the onlooker from firsthand knowledge. The sources that I’m able to find, which are not numerous as I don’t have a large database, are what I have to go off of in that regard. So, if a player is way better than the statistics say that they are, I wouldn’t know. I know that I have at least one such case here, due to the enormous number of players that I analyzed, so if anyone has anything to say about that, please do.

 

I am making this post to:

1) List MLB players who shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame that are there as of October 2021 based on a (Almost completely) statistical perspective. Mostly through the back of baseball card stats (WAR, BA, HR, etc.) but with some newer stats (ERA+, FA above league, etc.)  

2) List people who have been passed by in getting into the Hall of Fame. (No eligible players on the ballot. They still have a good shot of making it. Also players that actually qualify for the Hall (11+ seasons). I got a few people suggesting players like Bob Caruthers who played for (I believe) 6 seasons in the Majors. 

3) Allow people to add to these lists or argue against my claims. 

This Post is basically a full on Bill James article, but not made by Bill but made by me. If you’re into that sort of thing, read on. If you just want to see the lists of people, look just under where it says “Players that Should/Shouldn’t  be in Cooperstown.” If you don’t want to see either of these things, why did you click this post?

If you’re still with me, get ready to read. I hope that I’m not too confusing.

First, I would like to tell you that this is going to be a long post. It's basically an article at this point. Two quick things to mention before you start reading this insanity, One I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL STATISTICIAN NOR AM I A BASEBALL HISTORIAN. I AM A LONGTIME BASEBALL FAN WHO LIKES STATISTICS. IF YOU DISAGREE WITH ANYTHING THAT I SAY, THAT IS FINE. THIS IS AN ANALYSIS OF BASEBALL PLAYERS WHO I HAVE NEVER SEEN PLAY. IF ANY OF YOU HAVE SEEN ANY OF THESE GUYS PLAY, PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU SAW IN THEM THAT MADE YOU GO ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.

Second, I have a personal way of dealing with WAR. WAR is Wins Above Replacement. Basically it is a measurement of how good a player was in a given year. Due to how WAR is calculated, there are some people who have 40+ WAR due to long careers and people with 13 WAR due to short ones. What I do is I calculate the average WAR per season. So if someone has say a 23 WAR in 11 seasons and someone else has a 23 WAR in 23 seasons, the first player’s average WAR per season (WARPS) would be 2.09, while the second player’s WARPS would be 1. Clearly, the first player was better in terms of WAR than the second, which is not evident if you’re just looking at straight WAR. This also helps adjust for most fluke seasons. We’ll set the expected Hall of Fame WARPS to a person we know should be in the Hall of Fame, but isn’t a Hank Aaron or Babe Ruth. That would be comparing apples to pieces of granite. We’ll set it to Lou Brock’s (May he rest in peace)  WARPS. We can agree that he belongs in the Hall of Fame, but isn’t the best or the worst Hall of Famer. His WARPS is 2.27. This is a good number. 

WAR is calculated by this formula:  WAR = (Batting Runs + Baserunning Runs +Fielding Runs + Positional Adjustment + League Adjustment +Replacement Runs) / (Runs Per Win)

Yes. It’s more complicated than it seems, because you have to do a lot of sub-calculations to get each part of the equation, but basically what it does is measure how good a player is in a given season. A 5-6 WAR season is that of a Superstar and 2-3 is that of an average starter. What WARPS calculates is how each player averaged over their career, with the bad seasons and the great ones. A Hall of Famer usually ranges from around 2.27 WARPS (Lou Brock’s is actually one of the lowest, go figure) to Babe Ruth’s 8.31. 

WARPS and WAR is definitely not the end-all-be-all, but it is a useful and comprehensive stat that can encompass entire seasons to tell you how good, compared to the league at the time, that player did.

So, with that out of the way, on to the analyses.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Players that Shouldn’t be in Cooperstown that are Enshrined Right Now

 

1. Harold Baines

WARPS-1.76 (Standard-2.27)

Harold Baines was a DH-Rightfielder for the White Sox, Athletics, Rangers, Orioles, and Indians (Now Guardians, I still can't get over how weird it is saying that, much like the Washington Football Team). He played from 1980 to 2001. He was a 6 time All Star (1985-1987, 1989, 1991, and 1999) and won one Silver Slugger (1989).

Harold Baines was a very good player. He constantly was putting up a .300+ Batting average with a 100+ OPS+. He ended his career with almost 2900 hits, 1300 runs, 400 home runs, and a career OPS+ of 121. A very good player indeed. My problem is that from 1990 onward, he was a DH. He had no defensive value from 1990 onward. You can compensate for that by being a good hitter, and he was a good hitter, but good isn't Hall of Fame caliber. He got these great counting stats by being an above average hitter for his entire career. He never really had an extremely good season, and scored very few runs for a 22 year career. A very good player. Not a hall of famer.

 

2. Rabbit Maranville

WARPS-1.9 (Standard-2.27)

Rabbit Maranville was a Shortstop/Second Baseman who played with the Boston Braves, Pirates, Saint Louis Browns, Cubs, and St. Louis Cardinals. He played from 1914-1933 and in 1935.

Rabbit Maranville was a character. He was larger than life. He was the Ozzie Smith of his time as a defensive player. He was also constantly getting arrested for numerous things, though not murder.  He once got arrested for fishing in a drainage spout. You can assume that he was a bit tipsy at the time, but this is but one of many offenses, like getting arrested for taking part in a foreign military parade in that country, dressed in uniform. You can tell by those two instances that this guy was strange. He may have been a defensive wizard as he has basically the same defensive WAR as his offensive WAR, and offensive WAR is a lot easier to get than defensive WAR. The problem is, he was basically a slightly better Rafael Belliard at the plate. He would get a lot of singles, not drive in many runs, and hit basically no homers (career high was 5.) So, he was a singles hitter who hit for a low average (.258), who lived off of his excellent defense. Not a bad player to any capacity, but definitely not a Hall of Fame caliber complete player.

 

3. George Kelly

WARPS-1.6 (Standard-2.27)

George “High Pockets” Kelly was a 1B-2B-OF that played for the NY Giants, Pirates, Reds, and Cubs from 1915-1930 and 1932.

George Kelly is regarded as the worst player ever elected to the Hall of Fame. He was basically an average hitter and defender for the time that hit close to .300 with about 1800 hits. He is by no means a Hall of Fame talent. He is a strictly “good” player. There is nothing special about his statistics, except that he averaged 100 hits per year. The only reason that he got elected was because the Veterans Committee at the time had a couple old teammates, a couple old managers, and a couple reporters that covered him in his glory years. He has no business being in Cooperstown.

 

4. Ray Schalk

WARPS-1.8 (Standard-2.27)

Ray Schalk was a catcher for the White Sox and Giants from 1912-1929.

Ray Schalk is an interesting case. He was on the White Sox when the Black Sox Scandal happened, and was proven innocent (He hit .304 in that postseason, he’s looking pretty innocent, though Joe Jackson hit .375 and was found guilty. I don’t see how that works). His hitting stats are below average, like a 83 career OPS+, a .656 career OPS and a .253 batting average, and his defensive stats are good. So, he basically was a very good catcher in terms of fielding, and not hitting. Not a Hall of Famer.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Players that Should Be in Cooperstown 

1. Gil Hodges

WARPS-2.43 (Standard-2.27)

Gil Hodges played for the Brooklyn/LA Dodgers and the NY Mets from 1943, 1947-1963. He was a 3 time Gold Glove winner (1957-1959) and an 8 time All Star (1949-1955, 1957).

Gil Hodges could do it all. He could hit, he could defend, and he could manage. He played 18 years with the Dodgers (Brooklyn and LA), and the Mets as a 1B-OF for the Dodgers and a Manager for the Mets. He was the architect of the Mets’ 1969 Miracle Season. His numerous accolades include 3 gold gloves and 8 All Star nods.

Gil Hodges has been overlooked by many because of his .273 batting average and 1921 hits in 18 seasons. He, though, was a great hitter, averaging 20 home runs a year, and being a great defensive player. He also has a career 120 OPS+ and an OPS of .846. Sadly, he lost 1944-1946 due to military service, but he played from 1943, 1947-1963 at this level anyway. It’s a shame that he lost 3 of his years to service. He might’ve been voted in as a Hall of Fame player had he played then.

 

2. Thurman Munson

WARPS-4.19! (Standard-2.17)

Thurman Munson was a Yankee from 1969-1979. He was the AL MVP of the 1976 season, he was a 3 time Gold Glove winner (1972-1975), and a 7 time All Star (1971, 1973-1978).

Why is Thurman Munson not in the Hall of Fame? In only 11 seasons with the Yankees, he racked up a 46.1 WAR, batting .292 with 1558 hits. He got 7 All Star nods in total, only one less than Gil Hodges (See above). On top of being an offensive powerhouse (.756 OPS, 116 OPS+), he earned 3 gold gloves. He was a complete player. Sadly, his career was cut short due to his death in a plane crash, so he could have gotten more hits, but I would think that his batting average would fall, as he missed, by dying, his regressing years. He was one of the best catches of the 1970s, up there with Bench and FIsk.

 

3. Bill Freehan

WARPS-2.99 (Standard-2.17)

Bill Freehan was a Detroit Tiger from 1961, 1963-1976. He was an 11 time All Star (1964-1973, 1975) and a 5 time Gold Glove winner (1965-1969).

Bill Freehan was a catcher whose career mostly fell into the 1960s, the era dominated by pitchers. As a result, batters saw any hitting production go a long way. Bill was a Tigers catcher for 15 years, 11 of which he played in the All Star Game. He also earned 5 Gold Gloves, as well as a World Series Ring in 1968. Despite hitting only .262 and hitting only 200 home runs in his entire career, he was a great hitter, with an OPS of .752 and an OPS+ of 112. Playing in the 1960s made his numbers the way that they are, and not many people can get past that.

I may be a bit biased on this one, being a Tigers fan and all, but this guy is genuinely one of the best catchers to ever play the position. 

 

4.Minnie Miñoso

WARPS-2.69 (Standard-2.17)

Minnie Miñoso was an outfielder who played for the White Sox, Indians, New York Cubans (NNL), Cardinals, and Washington Senators (Now Texas Rangers) from 1946-1949, 1951-1964, 1976, and 1980. He was a 4 time NNL All Star (2 in 1947, 2 in 1948), a 9 time MLB All Star (1951-1954, 1957, 2 in 1959, and 2 in 1960), and a 3 time Gold Glove winner (1957, 1959, and 1960).

Minnie mostly played for the White Sox across his 20 year career which spanned five decades. This 13 time All Star and 3 time Gold Glove winner has all of the nice counting statistics, a .300 batting average, 2000 hits, an OPS+ of 130, and an OPS of .848. He also spent three years in the Negro Leagues. We can’t really count those, because they didn’t keep track of stats very well in those times for those leagues, but for the time that he played in the MLB, Minnie Miñoso was one of the greats.

 

5. Dale Murphy

WARPS-2.58 (Standard-2.27)

Dale Murphy was an outfielder for the Atlanta Braves, Phillies, and Rockies from 1976-1993. He was a 2 time NL MVP (1982, 1983), a 5 time Gold Glove winner (1982-1986), a 7 time All Star (1980, 1982-1987), and a 4 time Silver Slugger (1982-1986)

Dale Murphy was the face of the Braves for the 1970s to 1989. He was a star. He was a 2 time league MVP, 7 time All Star, 4 time Silver Slugger, and 5 time Gold Glover. Just this alone should get him into the hall of fame. But no, there’s more! He ended his career with 2111 hits, 398 Home Runs, an OPS of .815 and an OPS+ of 121. 

This guy is actually very similar to Harold Baines on how he got his stats. He got his stats through consistency, but, unlike Baines, he had some really amazing (140 OPS+/6-7 WAR/36 HR) seasons that turned into MVP awards. He also had the consistency to get 7 All Star nods. Because of this, I think that Dale Murphy is on the wrong side of the Hall of Fame line.

6. Joe Jackson

WARPS- 4.78 (Standard-2.27)

Now this one is debatable. We still don’t know if Joe was in on the 1919 series fix. He hit .375 in the series and claimed that he was innocent. He was illiterate and, well, may not have been in on the fix for that reason alone. He was not smart to put it bluntly. But boy could he play ball. He still holds the second highest batting average of all time. Had he not been banned from baseball, he may have gotten into the 3,000 hit club and cemented his legacy as one of the greatest hitters of all time. Instead, his reputation is tarnished by one of the darkest moments in baseball.

I will probably be discussing Joe Jackson in more depth in a later post.

 

7. Fred McGriff

WARPS-2.77 (Standard-2.27)

Fred McGriff played for the Blue Jays, Padres, Braves, Cubs, Dodgers and Devil Rays from 1986 to 2004. He was a 5 time All Star (1992, 1994-1996, 2000) and 3 time Silver Slugger (1989, 1991, 1992).

The Crime Dog. This man was a hitting machine. He retired with 493 home runs to his name, as well as almost 2500 hits. This 5 time All Star and 3 time Silver Slugger was one of the most successful hitters of the 90s. His 1994 season was on pace to record 51 home runs when the strike ended the season. His career .886 OPS and 134 OPS+ only add to a prolific hitting resumé. This guy is really borderline for me. He is a Harold Baines type player (There he is again), in that he got his great hitting stats through being good consistently. I will give him his impressive Home Run totals, but for a guy who played 19 years, I would want him to drive in more than 1347 runs. Despite his big home run numbers, he wasn’t a large offensive force. I could easily be swayed one way or another for this one.

 

8. Ron Guidry

WARPS- 3.41 (Standard-2.27)

Ron Guidry was a Pitcher who played for the Yankees from 1975-1988. He was a 5 time Gold Glove winner (1982-1986), a 4 time All Star (1977, 1978, 1981, 1982) and won the Cy Young award in 1978.

Frankly, his career is similar to that of Sandy Koufax. They have similar winning percentages, Games Started, Innings Pitched, and WAR. Ron just has a higher ERA than Sandy and 600 less strikeouts, which is because of the difference in Eras that they pitched in. Ron Guidry was the Sandy Koufax of the late 1970s to late 1980s.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, from the first iteration of this post, I got comments on who I forgot. I’ve included them all here, as well as my opinion one way or the other. 

 

Your Suggestions that I believe Should be in Cooperstown

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Don Mattingly

 

WARPS-3.02 (Standard-2.27)

Don Mattingly played for the Yankees from 1982-1995. As a player, he was a 6 time All Star (1984-1989), a 9 time Gold Glove winner (1985-1989, 1991-1994), and a 3 time Silver Slugger (1985-1987).

 

Don Mattingly was a great player, one of the best in baseball, from 1985-1989. He put up MVP-like seasons during that time and one an MVP in 1985. His 1986 campaign was arguably better, where he hit .352 with 238 hits, 53 doubles, 31 HR, 145 RBI, and had a .967 OPS and 161 OPS+ respectively. Had he stayed at that level, he would have been one of the top 10 best players ever. Sadly, injuries prevented him from ever getting that production level again. He ended his career with a .307 AVG, 2307 hits, a .830 OPS and a 127 OPS+. All in all, I think that he is on the right side of the Hall of Fame line. He never lived up to his 1986 campaign, true, but his career statistics and achievements give him enough ammunition to get into Cooperstown.

 

2. Keith Hernandez

WARPS-3.54 (Standard-2.27)

Keith Hernandez was a first baseman for the Cardinals, Mets, and Indians from 1973-1990. He won 1 MVP award in 1979, 11 Gold Glovers (1978-1983, 1984-1988), 5 All Star nods (1979, 1980, 1984, 1986, 1987), and was a two time Silver Slugger (1980 and 1984).

Keith Hernandez was one of the best defensive first baseman ever. His 11 Gold Gloves speak to that. On top of being one of the best defensive first basemen ever, he could hit. He had a career .296 batting average, 2182 hits, an OPS of .821, and an OPS+ of 128. He also won a batting title in 1979. So, he has the stats to be in the Hall, why is he not there?

Keith Hernandez admitted to coke usage up to 1983. That’s ten years of his career. The MLB is very stingy on illegal drug usage, so he’s been kept out of the Hall because of that. Maybe in the coming years, if coke ever becomes legal, he’ll be instated. Until then, he’s out.

 

3. Pete Rose

WARPS-3.32 (Standard-2.27)

 

Charlie Hustle was an outfielder and Player-Manager who played with the Reds, Expos (Now Nationals), and Phillies from 1963-1986. He was a 17 time All Star (1965-1971, 1973-1982, 1985), 1973 NL MVP, 1981 Silver Slugger, and 2 time Gold Glove winner (1969, 1970).Pete Rose is most remembered for being the hit king. There is no doubt that he deserves to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Heck, he probably WILL be in the Hall of Fame within a few years. Why? Sports Gambling is legal now in many places. MLB is now even partnering with sports betting sites. He may be in the Hall within the next few years.

4.  Bobby Grich

WARPS-4.17 (Standard-2.27)

 

Bobby Grich was a 2B that played for the Angels and Orioles from 1970-1986. He was a 6 time All Star (1972, 1974, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1982), 1981 Silver Slugger, and a 4 time Gold Glove winner (1973-1976).

 

Bobby Grich is a Hall of Fame player. Change my mind. Despite having a .266 AVG, he has an OPS+ of 125, making him 25% better than the average hitter. He ended his career with 1833 hits, 224 HR, and a .794 OPS. Despite the average-looking hitting stats, this guy was an amazing defensive player. Most players have a below 1 dWAR. This guy has a dWAR of 16.8. He definitely should be in the Hall. 

 

5. Charlie Comiskey - Black Sox Scandal

 

For more information on him, go here: https://sabr.org/research/article/how-cheap-was-charles-comiskey-salaries-and-the-black-sox/

 

 

Despite the myths surrounding the Black Sox Scandal, Charlie Comiskey did not drive his players to conspire with gamblers. They were the most paid team of the AL at the time (Yes, over the Yankees). He may have been a bad person to be around, but he definitely does deserve to be in the Hall.

 

6. Alan Trammell

 

 

WARPS-3.54 (Standard-2.27)

 

Alan Trammell was a Tiger from 1977-1996. He won 4 Gold Gloves (1983, 1984, 1987, 1988) , 6 All Star nods 

(1979, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990) , and 3 Silver Sluggers (1987, 1988, 1990).

 

Alan Trammell was half of one of the most iconic double-play combos in history. He was a rather good fielder (.977 to the league’s .967) as well as being a great hitter (2365 hits, 110 OPS+, .760 OPS). He is and should be a Hall of Famer.

 

7. Carlos Delgado

 

WARPS-2.61 (Standard-2.27)

 

Carlos Delgado was a 1B who played for the Blue Jays, Mets, and Marlins from 1993-2009. He is a 2 time All Star (2000 and 2003) and 3 time Silver Slugger.

Carlos Delgado was good at hitting Home Runs. He hit 473 in his 17 year career. He also was good at regular hits, getting the ball in play 2038 times in his career.  With a 138 OPS+ and .929 OPS, he was an amazing hitter. The problem is, he was one of many. His career was in the 1990s, where everyone was hitting 30+ homers. They were also juicing. Carlos is one of the few that are believed to have not juiced. This makes his numbers actually impressive. He should be in the Hall.

8. Tony Oliva

 

 

WARPS-2.87 (Standard-2.27)

 

Tony Oliva is a great hitter. He hit .304 during his 15 years with the Twins. He had a career 131 OPS+ and a .830 OPS. He narrowly missed the 2000 hit club (1917) and was a below average defensive player (.975 to .980 FA). His hitting outweighs his fielding. He is deserving of being in Cooperstown.

 

9. Tommy John

 

 

WARPS-2.37 (Standard-2.27)

 

Tommy John played for the Yankees, White Sox, Dodgers, Angels, and Athletics from 1963-1974, 1976-1989. He played for 26 years in the big leagues. He is a 4 time All Star (1968, 1978-1980).

 

Tommy has 288 wins. Nuff said if this were the 1980s. It’s not. He came back from Tommy John surgery in 1974 (The surgery was named after him.) to win 178 more games. He did this with a 3.30 ERA and 2300 strikeouts.

He should be in the Hall, despite his high ERA.

 

10. Ken Boyer

 

 

WARPS- (Standard)

 

Ken Boyer was a 3B for the Cardinals, Mets, Dodgers, and White Sox from 1955-1969. He was an 11 time All Star (1956, 2 in each year from 1959-1962, 1963, 1964), the 1964 MVP, and a 5 time Gold Glove winner (1958-1961, 1963).

 

Ken Boyer was a complete player. He was a great defensive 3B, hence the 5 Gold Gloves, and he was a good offensive player as well, with a .287 BA, a .810 OPS, and a 116 OPS+. He ended his career with 280 HR and 2100 hits. Yep. He is at least a borderline HoFer. He should be in the Hall.

 

11. Joe Tinker 

 

 

WARPS-3.55 (Standard-2.27)

 

Joe Tinker played with the Cubs and the Chicago Whales from 1902-1916.

 

Joe Tinker is a Hall of Fame talent. It doesn’t look like it counting stat wise, with a .260 AVG and all, but he was an amazing fielder. A full .12 points better than the league in FA, and with a 34.3 dWAR, Joe Tinker was an amazing defensive shortstop.

 

12. Ed Reulbach

 

 

WARPS-2.75 (Standard-2.27)

 

This guy played from 1905-1917 with the Cubs, Brooklyn Robins, and Braves. 

 

Ed should be a HoFer. No question. He has 182 wins to 106 losses. A very good record. A 2.28 ERA. Amazing. 123 ERA+. Even more amazing.

 

He was part of the 116 win Cubs team that got upset in the 1906 WS. He went 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA in that series.

 

13. Frank Chance
 

 

WARPS-2.70 (Standard-2.27)

 

Frank Chance played for the Cubs and Yankees from 1898 to 1914.

 

I think that Frank Chance is a marginal case. He is a good hitter with a .292 AVG and a OPS+ of 137, and a slightly better than average defensive player (0.02 better FA than league.) He could go either way. I am tempted to say that he SHOULD be in the Hall, but really, it is a very debatable topic. 

 

14. Catfish Hunter

 

 

WARPS-2.72 (Standard-2.27)

 

Catfish Hunter was a pitcher who played for the Athletics and Yankees from 1965-1979. He was an 8 time All Star (1966, 1967, 1970, 1972-1976) and won the 1974 Cy Young award.

 

Catfish Hunter is a Hall of Fame Calibre pitcher. He won 20+ games 5 times, with .750 and .808 winning percentages in 1972 and 1973. His FIP was good at 3.66, and his ERA+ was 104. His career winning percentage was .574, and won 224 games. His ERA was a bit high at 3.26, but his sheer dominance during 1972-1976 puts him into the Hall. He wasn't a half-bad fielder as well. (0.08 better than average)

15. Nellie Fox

 

 

WARPS-2.61 (Standard-2.27)

 

Nellie Fox was a 2B for the Colt .45s, Athletics, White Sox, and Astros. He was a 15 time All Star (1952-1958, 1963, 2 a year from 1959-1961), the 1959 MVP, and a 3 time Gold Glove winner (1957, 1959, 1960).

 

Nellie Fox was a good hitter. He had 2663 hits, a .288 AVG, and only 216 Ks in his career. He was a contact hitter who had little pop, but struck out only about 10-20 times a year. This would be elite hitting stats, if his OPS and OPS+ weren’t so low (.710/94).

 

Nellie Fox was best known as a great defensive player that Connie Mack traded away, thinking that he was no good. (Nellie was one of the only players Connie Mack was wrong about.) He definitely is a great defensive player, with a dWAR of 21 and a better range and FA than league average by 0.12 and 0.07 points respectively.

 

Nellie’s lone MVP award came in 1959, but his 1957 campaign was better (.317/196 hits/6 HR/ 8 triples/110 runs).  Nellie had the sad misfortune to be in the AL when he had his best seasons, as Mickey Mantle was hitting stride at that time. Really, Mantle should have won basically all of the MVP awards from 1956-1960, except for Nellie’s 1959 award. He is a Hall of Fame worthy player.

 

16. Albert Belle

 

 

WARPS-3.34 (Standard-2.27)

 

Albert Belle played for the Indians, White Sox, and Orioles from 1989-2000. He is a 5 time All Star (1993-1997) and a 5 time Silver Slugger (1993-1996, 1998).

 

Albert Belle was an amazing hitter. He was almost 1.5x better than the average batter for his entire career (144 OPS+). He has a .933 OPS, a .295 AVG, 1239 RBI, 1726 hits, and 381 HR in a 13 year career. Imagine if he had a 20 year career. He would have definitely broken the 500 HR barrier. 

 

As a defensive player, Albert Belle was bad. He had a -12.3 dWAR and a FA 0.07 lower than the league average. Despite this, Albert’s offensive numbers definitely get him into a Hall of Famer caliber player.

 

17. Tony Mullane

 

 

WARPS- 5.12 (Standard-2.27)

 

Tony Mullane was an Irish-born Pitcher who played for the Detroit Wolverines, Louisville Eclipse, St. Louis Browns, Toledo Blue Stockings, Cincinnati Red Stockings/Reds, Baltimore Orioles, and Cleveland Spiders from 1881-1884, 1886-1894.

 

Tony Mullane was a great pitcher. He ranks up with players like Tim Keefe and Old Hoss Radbourne as one of the best pitchers of the 1800s. Mullane won 284 games in total, not as many as Keefe or Radbourne, but he was consistent. He had many 20 win seasons and 30 win seasons. He averages 18 wins per season over his entire career. His ERA is 3.05, which is very good. He also holds the distinct honor of throwing the most wild pitches, 343. He also threw 63 in one year (1884). Despite control issues, Tony Mullane is a Hall of Fame level pitcher that should be enshrined in Cooperstown.

 

18. Pete Browning

 

 

WARPS-3.11 (Standard-2.27)

 

Pete Browning was a OF-3B-1B that played for the Louisville Eclipse, Louisville Colonels, Reds, Browns, and the Brooklyn Grooms from 1882-1894.

 

Pete Browning hit .341 for his career, with a high of .378 in his rookie season. He currently holds 3 batting titles from 1882, 1885, and 1890. Despite only playing in 1200 games, Pete is able to hit 1600 hits and 950 runs. His OPS+ is 163, one of the highest all time.He wasn’t a very good fielder, however, with a .883 FA compared to the league’s .896. He also has -5.8 dWAR.

 

Despite all of this, Pete Browning is one of the best hitters in the history of professional baseball. He deserves to be enshrined in the Hall.

 

19. Jimmy Ryan

 

 

WARPS-2.43 (Standard-2.27)

Jimmy Ryan played for the White Sox and Senators from 1885-1900, 1902-1903. 

 

Jimmy Ryan was a great player. He hit .308 over his career, with 2513 hits, 118 HR for a player in the 1800s, and an OPS/OPS+ of .820/124. He was not a good defensive player, though, with a -10.1 dWAR and a .918 FA compared to the league’s .922. 

 

Jimmy really isn’t a player that I know much about, nor could I find out much about him, but what I could see pointed me to a marginal HoFer that probably deserves to get in.
 

20. Mark Grace

 

 

WARPS-2.9 (Standard-2.27)

 

Mark Grace played for the Cubs and Diamondbacks from 1988-2003. He is a 3 time All Star (1993, 1995, 1997) and a 3 time Gold Glove winner (1992, 1993, 1995.)

 

Mark Grace was called Mr. Cub, inheriting the nickname from Ernie Banks, the original Mr. Cub. His .303 AVG, 2445 hits, .825 OPS, and 119 OPS+ point to the fact that he was a good hitter. He only hit 173 HR, but his .383 OBP (On base percentage) shows that he was a good contact hitter. Mark was not the best defensive player, having a -5 dWAR and all. His fielding percentage was nonetheless 0.03 above the average.

 

Mark Grace, for me, is definitely a borderline HoFer. His case doesn’t blow me away, but it does make sense as to why he could get into the Hall.

 

21. Lou Whitaker

 

 

WARPS- 3.95 (Standard-2.27)

 

Lou Whitaker played with the Detroit Tigers from 1977-1995. He was the double play partner of Alan Trammell for 1918 games. Both were lifelong Tigers. 

 

Lou Whitaker was a 4 time Silver Slugger (1983-85, 1987), 5 time All Star (1983-87), and 3 time Gold Glove winner (1983-1985.)

 

Despite only putting up a .276 AVG, Whitaker hit 2369.pitches into play, had an OPS+ of 119, and hit 242 HR as a 2B. Defensively, Whitaker was amazing, with a dWAR of 16.3 and a .984 FA compared to a league average of .981.

Whitaker is a borderline Hall of Famer. He should be in the Hall, but there are arguments against him that hold water as well.

 

22. Vada Pinson

 

 

WARPS-3.01 (Standard-2.27)

 

Vada Pinson was an Outfielder who played for the Reds, Cardinals, Indians, and Royals from 1958-1975. He was a 4-time All Star (1959-1960, two times per year), and a 1961 Gold Glove winner.

 

Vada Pinson was a very good contact hitter, peaking in 1961 where he hit .343 with 208 hits. He would go on to have 3 more 200 hit seasons in his career. Vada did have some power, having many 20 HR seasons, and OPS+ (119) suggests that he was a good hitter.

 

Vada Pinson was not the best defender though WAR wise, with a -5.3 dWAR, but had great range (0.06 points above average) and only 101 errors in his career spanning 18 seasons.

 

I would say that Vada Pinson is another marginal case, and I would argue that he was a Hall of Famer in terms of career stats, but he wasn’t exactly dominant in the latter half of his career. He wasn’t seen as one of the best/post popular players either, only getting All Star nods in 2 seasons. So, I can see a good reason as to why he isn’t in the Hall.

23. Dick Allen

 

 

WARPS-3.91 (Standard-2.27)

 

DIck Allen played for the Phillies, Cardinals, Dodgers, White Sox, and Athletics from 1963-1977. He was a 7 time All Star (1964-67, 1970, 1972-74), 1972 MVP, and 1964 Rookie of the Year.

 

Dick Allen, as I remember him from the many books that I read, could have been so much better. He had numerous off-the-field issues stemming from immaturity, and, also stemming from that immaturity, was a defiance of coaches trying to coach him to get better. He was a generational talent, but he mostly squandered it due to the before-said reasons. Despite this, Dick Allen is still a HoF quality player. He retired with 352 HR, a .292 AVG, 1842 hits, 1199 RBI, and an amazing 156 OPS+.

 

He was a horrible defensive player in dWAR terms, with a -16.3 rating, and an 8.88 RA/9 against a 9.79 average for the league would back this up. He made 245 total errors in his career, which is not good at all.

 

Despite being horrible in terms of defensive stats, his offense puts him into the Hall. I just wonder what could have been had he not had the off-the-field issues had not been present.

 

24. Dwight Evans

 

 

WARPS-3.36 (Standard-2.27)

 

Dwight Evans played for the Red Sox from 1972-1991. He was a 3 time All Star (1978, 1981, 1987), two time Silver Slugger (1981, 1987) and an 8 time Gold Glove winner (1976, 1978-79, 1981-85, 1987).

 

If Dwight Evans ever gets into the Hall of Fame, my buddy said that he would eat his shoe (And I have this recorded, so he can’t back out of it if Dwight Evans ever makes the HoF). Because of this, I hope that he does get into Cooperstown.

 

Dwight Evans, over the course of his career, amassed 2446 hits, 385 HR, 1391 walks, 1470 runs, and a .272 AVG. His OPS of 127 also points to him being a good hitter. He had absolutely no speed, only stealing 5 bases a year on average. His 1981 campaign was on pace to being one of his best, as he led the league with 22 HR, 85 walks, and a .296 AVG, but the strike shortened his season, depriving him from being able to have a 40 HR season.

 

Statistically, Dwight is not a good defensive player, with a -3.8 dWAR, and FA and FA/9 being .20+ below league average. He did only make 78 errors in his 20 year career, however, so I don’t think that the stats do him justice. He has the 3rd most putouts in RF. 

 

Dwight Evans is commonly called one of the most underrated players in Baseball history, and you can see why. He deserves to be in the Hall, but his numbers just don’t do him justice.

 

25. Will Clark

 

 

WARPS-3.77 (Standard-2.27)

 

Will Clark was a 1B who played for the Giants, Rangers, Orioles, and Cardinals from 1986-2000. He was a 5 time All Star (1988-92, 1994), 1991 Gold Glove Winner, and 2 time Silver Slugger (1989, 1991)

 

Will Clark was one of the best players in all of baseball in the late 1980s. He put up great offensive numbers, a .303 AVG, 15 HR a year, 1205 RBi, and a 137 OPS+ throughout his career. He is linked with Rafael Palmiero because the two (as well as 57 other Major League talents of the 1980s and 1990s) played for Mississippi State in college from 1983-1985. Clark was the better player on those teams, and it is debatable who was the better player in the majors because of Palmiero’s PED use. Will’s defense was not good in terms of dWAR (-10.1) but his RF/9 is amazing (9.96 compared to the league’s 9.64).

 

I do believe that he should be a Hall of Famer due to his great stats and his dominance in the late 1980s.

 

26. Luis Tiant

 

 

WARPS- 3.48 (Standard-2.27)

 

Luis Tiant was a pitcher who played for the Red Sox, Indians, Twins, Yankees, Pirates, and Angels from 1964-1982. He was a 3 time All Star (1968, 1974, 1976).

 

Frankly, had Luis started his career 2-3 years earlier, he would be solidly in the Hall of Fame. The influx of 260-300 win pitchers who all qualified around 1990 for places on the ballot basically took him out of the running for a Hall of Fame spot.

 

Luis won 229 games through his career with a 3.30 ERA, 114 ERA+, 2416 Ks, and 49 SHOs. These numbers are better than many Hall of Famers’. He’s in the top 32, when compared to other Hall of Fame Starting pitchers in Ks and SHOs and even ranks ahead of 18 in terms of ERA. Luis should have been a shoe-in, but the influx of better pitchers in this second year of balloting basically took him out of contention for a spot in the Hall of Fame.

 

27. Ted Simmons

 

 

WARPS-2.40 (Standard-2.27)

 

Ted Simmons played for the Cardinals, Braves, and Brewers from 1968-1988.He is an 8 time All Star (1972-74, 1977-79, 1981, 1983) and a 1980 Silver Slugger.

 

Ted Simmons finally got into the Hall of Fame, and he deserves to be there. He ranks among the top ten catchers of all time in basically every offensive category like RBI (1389), doubles (483), hits (2472). He also is 3rd in games played (2456) compared to the other 14 HoF catchers, 7th in HR (248), and 7th in AVG (.282). He also wasn’t bad defensively, with a 5.2 dWAR. He did not have the best range (0.60 worse than league average.)

 

For Ted Simmons’ entire career, he was overshadowed by players like Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk, and Gary Carter. It’s nice to see that he is finally getting the recognition that he deserves.

 

 

 

Your Suggestions that I Believe Shouldn’t be in Cooperstown

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

1. Dave Parker

 

WARPS-2.11 (Standard-2.27)

 

Dave Parker was an outfielder-DH for the Reds, Pirates, Athletics, Blue Jays, and Angels from 1973-1991. During that time, he won an MVP in 1978, was a 7 time All Star (1977, 1979-1981, 1985, 1986, and 1990), and 3 Gold Gloves (1977-1979).

 

The biggest irony of his career is that he wasn’t an All Star in his MVP season. Dave, despite the 3 Gold Gloves, wasn’t the best fielder, but he was above average. His 2710 hits, .290 AVG, .810 OPS, and 121 OPS+ are very impressive, though. His career is definitely that of a borderline Hall of Famer. He definitely was a great player though.

 

What sets him back is that most of his great years were early on into his career, so basically from 1979 onward, he was a below average player. He was a good hitter, but his on pace percentage and fielding were dreadful. That’s what got him turned into a DH.

 

He also was a coke user who was sued by the Pirates in 1985 for fraud.

 

He certainly was a Hall of Fame talent, but off the field issues and a huge mid-career production drop is what’s making him not become a Hall of Fame player.

 

2. Tommy McCarthy

 

 

WARPS-1.12 (Standard-2.27)

 

Tommy McCarthy was a member of the Boston Reds, Boston Beaneaters, Philadelphia Quakers, St. Louis Browns, and Brooklyn Bridegrooms. He played from 1884-1896.

 

Trivia: Who is the only member of the Hall of Fame to play in the Union Association?

Answer: Tommy McCarthy.

 

Frankly, Tommy McCarthy has no business being in the Hall of Fame. This guy hit .292, with 1493 hits, and 498 Stolen Bases in 13 years as a pro. Whoop de doo. Back in the 1800s, hitting .300 was common. 1493 hits is good, but not great, and 498 stolen bases is great. His stolen base totals is the only “great” thing about him. According to his OPS and OPS+ (.740/102), he was a barely above average hitter. If he’s in the Hall, then he was an amazing defensive player then! Nope. He has a -3.1 dWAR. He was a good defensive outfielder. Nothing more, nothing less. This guy was average in every facet of the game except for SBs. He has no business in the Hall.

 

3. Bill White

 

 

WARPS- 2.97 (Standard-2.27)

 

Bill White was a 1B-OF for the NY Giants, Cardinals, and Phillies from 1956, 1958-1969. He is a 7 time Gold Glove winner (1960-1966) and an 8 time All Star (2 each year for 1959-1961, one each year from 1963-64).

 

I never heard of Bill White before you mentioned him as a HoF candidate. His offensive stats are unimpressive on the surface (.286, 202 HR, 1706 hits), but he played mostly in the 1960s, so his hitting numbers would be a bit lessened. With an .830 OPS and a 117 OPS+, we can see that he is a good hitter. Though, surprisingly, only an above average fielder (.992 vs .990 league AVG) and -2.4 dWAR.

 

I would have to say that he would not be a Hall of Fame player, but he is close.

 

4. Johnny Evers 

 

 

WARPS-2.65 (Standard-2.27)

 

Johnny Evers was the Chicago Orphans’, Cubs’, Braves’, Pirates’, and White Sox’s 2B from 1922-1917, 1922, and 1929. He won the MVP award in 1914 with the Braves in their miracle World Series win.

 

I think that Johnny Evers could go either way for being in the Hall. Personally I don’t think that he makes it over the boundary like into the Hall of Fame Calibre players He is basically a slightly worse fielding Joe Tinker in terms of stats (0.06 better FA than the league as opposed to .12). He did, however, lead the Boston Braves to a World Series win when they were in last place and expected to stay there at around midseason.

 

5. Luis Aparicio

 

 

WARPS-3.1 (Standard-2.27)

 

Luis Aparicio played for the White Sox, Orioles, and Red Sox from 1956-1973. He is a 13 time All Star (1 A year 1958, 1961-1964, 1970-1972, 2 a year from 1959-1962) and a 7 time Gold Glove winner (1958-1962, 1964, 1966, 1968, 1970)

 

Luis Aparicio, I think, is not a Hall of Fame talent.

 

He retired with 2677 hits. That’s his best stat. According to numerous sources, Luis was a great defensive player, as shown by his 3.18 dWAR and 0.09 point higher FA than the league throughout his career. So he was good at defense, but he was no Brooks Robinson, no Mazeroski, not even a Graig Nettles, as a fielder. His offensive production is certainly lacking, as he was a singles hitter who hit .262 for his career. 

 

He was definitely an above average player, even a star. Not a Hall of Fame worthy player, though.

 

6. Red Schoendienst

 

 

WARPS- 2.34 (Standard-2.27)

 

Red Schoendienst was a 2B-OF who played with the Cardinals, Giants, and Braves from 1945-1963. He is a 10 time All Star (1946, 1948-1955, 1957).

 

Red Schoendienst  was a good ball-player. He played with the Cardinals and Milwaukee through 2 WS wins, and was a perennial All-Star. Despite these accolades, I think that he is a marginal case. He has, over 19 seasons, 2450 hits, 773 RBI, and a 94 OPS+ (Meaning that he was a 6% worse hitter than league average.) His fielding was 0.08 points better than league average, but that doesn’t cover for his low (for a HoFer) hitting stats.

 

7. Bob Lemon

 

 

WARPS-3.71 (Standard-2.27)

 

Bob Lemon was a pitcher for the Indians from 1943-1958. He lost 1943-1945 due to military service, and was an All Star from 1948-1954, and in 1956.

 

Bob Lemon isn’t deserving of his HoF nod. He originally got in due to his numerous 20+ win seasons. Back then, when they had Baseball Card Statistics and eyewitness accounts only to rate players, this sort of thing would make someone a shoe-in. The committee would say “Ooo, many 20 game winning seasons, you’re in!” (Excling 1800s pitchers) Despite a 3.23 ERA, his ERA+ is 119. His FIP is also 3.79. Barely better than average. FIP, or Fielding Independent Pitching, is a much better measure of how good a pitcher is than ERA, as it basically is measuring how good a pitcher was at preventing people from getting on base and producing strikeouts. 3.79 is an Above Average FIP. Now, with him only having 206 wins, this does not bode well for Bob Lemon’s HoF case.

 

8. Pee Wee Reese

 

 

WARPS-4.28 (Standard-2.27)

 

Pee Wee Reese played on the Dodgers from 1940-1942, 1946-1958. He is a 10-time All Star (1942, 1946-1954).

 

Surprisingly, I don’t think that Pee Wee is a Hall of Fame talent. His offensive numbers aren’t very impressive in HoF standards: 2270 hits, 1338 Runs, .269 BA, 99 OPS+, .743 OPS. Pee Wee, however, is remembered after his friendship with Jackie Robinson, as being an amazing defensive player. This is actually NOT shown in the stats, though. His FA is only 0.04 points above league average. Luis Aparicio ws a better fielder in terms of this stat, and his range factor is only 0.05 points better than league average. The best parallel I can make is a Brooks Robinson as a hitter, and almost an Adam Everett as a fielder. Not Hall of Fame worthy in terms of stats, but his part in integrating baseball will be remembered for generations to come.

9. George Kell

 

 

WARPS-2.51 (Standard-2.27)

 

George Kell was a 3B-1B for the Tigers, Red Sox, Athletics, White Sox, and Orioles from 1943-1957. He was a 10 time All Star (1947-1952, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1957).

 

George Kell was a quality player. His hitting stats reflect a good hitter for the time (.306 AVG, 112 OPS+, 2054 hits.) He also got more than 5x as many Ks as HR (50 HRs, 287 Ks). Though, he was a slightly worse defensive player than average (3.19 range to 3.21 league average, 3.03 R/9 vs 3.19). This really doesn’t make him a Hall of Famer in terms of a career, because of him being a good hitter. If that is the only requirement, I could make a case that Roger Peckinpaugh would be a Hall of Famer.

 

10. Phil Rizzuto

 

 

WARPS-3.25 (Standard-2.27)

 

Phil Rizzuto was a Yankee from 1941, 1942, 1946-1956. He was a 5 time All Star (1942, 1950-1953) and was the 1950 MVP.

Phil was a below average hitter. He had 1588 hits, 563 RBI, 877 runs, a .273 AVG, a .706 OPS, and a 93 OPS+. These are underwhelming for a Hall of Famer. He got into the hall because of his defense, which was very good (22.9 dWAR, 0.09 better FA than league.) His MVP 1950 season earned him 6.8 WAR. Surprisingly, a Pitcher named Ned Garver on the Browns had more WAR (8.1) in that season. Though Phil probably deserved it, he really never played up to that standard again. I would say that Phil probably could go either way, though I think that he shouldn’t be in the Hall. He certainly suffered from preferential treatment for getting into the Hall, as he was a Yankee great during their dynasty years.

 

11. Bill Mazeroski.

 

 

WARPS-2.14 (Standard-2.27)

 

Bill Mazeroski was a 2B that played for the Pirates from 1956-1972. He was a 10 time All Star (1958, 1963, 1964, 1967, 2 a year in 1959, 1960 and 1962.) and an 8 time Gold Glove winner (1958, 1960, 1961, 1963-1967).

 

Bill Mazeroski is not a Hall of Fame talent. He is a below average hitter (.667 OPS, 84 OPS+, .260 AVG, 2000 hits) but an amazing defender (24 dWAR, 5.72 Range-Elite level range, and a FA 0.07 points above average.). The problem is that, even though Maz was an excellent defender, he was not a very good offensive player. That’s why the 1960 walk-off HR was so surprising. He had only hit 11 HR in the regular season. He was seen, at the time, not a World Series Hero, but a great defensive player, and not much of a hitter.

 

Maz basically got into the Hall because he had good stats, and because of his postseason heroics. This would be a bit of an extreme, but that’s like voting for someone like Randy Arozarena because they had very good postseason stats and good career numbers. Not a Hall of Fame worthy player. A player worth remembering nonetheless, up there with Bobby Thomson as clutch players.

 

12. Stan Hack

 

 

WARPS-3.47 (Standard-2.27)

 

Stan Hack played from 1932-1947 with the Chicago Cubs. He was a 5 time All Star (1938-39, 1941, 1943.)

 

Stan Hack was a good hitter. There is no question about that. He hit 2193 hits, a .301 AVG, a .791 OPS, a 119 OPS+, and scored 1239 runs. He did not drive in many runs as he was a leadoff/early in the order player. Defensively, Stan is good. He has 1.4 dWAR and a range that is 0.08 points lower than the league average.

 

This is yet another marginal case. I tend to think that he doesn’t deserve a Hall of Fame nod because of how many players were like him, but slightly better. Those who were of his type of playing style but a tiny bit better are in the Hall. Hack is not. I think that it should stay that way until there isn’t a better player to get elected.

 

13. Dave Concepción

 

 

WARPS-2.11 (Standard-2.27)

 

Dave Concepción was a SS-2B-3B for the Reds from 1970-1988. During that time, he was a 9 time All Star (1973, 1975-1982), Two time Silver Slugger (1981-82), and a 5 time Gold Glove award winner (1974-77, 1979).

 

According to the statistics, Dave was a below average hitter. His .267 AVG, 88 OPS+, and .679 OPS suggest that. He was a contact hitter, amassing 2326 hits over his 19 year career. Because of this, his home run total is only 101. His lack of speed, as suggested by lack of triples (48) is also a problem. He is quite good defensively, though, with a 21.3 dWAR, .971 FA (.964 is league average). He also lacked range, however, with a 4.71 RF/9 versus the league’s 4.97.

 

Dave Concepción is a quality player. He was one of the offensive cogs that drove the Big Red Machine to win World Series titles in the 1970s. He is not, however, good enough to be a Hall of Famer statistics wise.

 

14. Steve Garvey

 

 

WARPS-2.01 (Standard-2.27)

 

Steve Garvey was a 1B-3B who played for the Dodgers and Padres from 1969 to 1987. He won the 1974 MVP award, was a 10 time All Star (1974-81, 1984-85), and 4 Gold Gloves (1974-77).

 

Steve Garvey was a great offensive player, he was a career .294 hitter with 2599 hits, 272 HR, and an OPS+ of 117. He was also an ironman, playing in 1,207 consecutive games (NL record). Defensively, he had an erratic throwing arm, but was able to keep it together enough to get 4 Gold Gloves and 184 consecutive errorless games. He had a -11.6 career dWAR and a slightly lower than average RF than average.

 

Steve Garvey never really excelled in WAR categories, thus the low WAR. He fell short of the automatic ins for his generation of 400 HR or 3,000 hits. He never led the league in RBI, runs, HR, batting average, and rarely walked. He was a good player in the All Star game though, winning 2 All Star MVPs (1978 and 1982).

 

I would have to say, compared to the other players in the Hall from his generation, Steve Garvey is not a Hall of Famer.He was perennial All Star, and a quality player, but not a Hall of Famer.

 

15. Harvey Kuenn. 

 

 

WARPS-1.73 (Standard-2.27)

 

Harvey Kuenn was an OF for the Tigers, Indians, Giants, Phillies, and Cubs from 1952-1966. He is a 10 time All Star (1953-58, 2 a year from 1959-60), was the Rookie of the Year in 1953, and won the 1959 batting title.

 

Harvey Kuenn was a Tiger (They traded him for Rocky Colavito in 1960) for most of his career, but I don’t think that I can be overly biased on this one as I don’t think that he’s a Hall of Fame player. His hit totals from 1953-59 are impressive, but his production drops off considerably in terms of hits from 1961 onward. It coincides with his trade to the Giants, so that probably has something to do with it. His run and RBI totals are underwhelming at 950 and 671 respectively. He was a career .303 hitter, but his run production is not very good. It does have to do, in part, on being on bad teams for most of his career, but that doesn’t really excuse the bad stats. It would only drop a person playing on a somewhat-competitive team if he were traded to a last place team by 10-15 runs/RBI a season. That still makes his stats underwhelming even adjusting for that. His OPS was only 108, and was a below average fielder. With his stat line, I have to conclude that he shouldn’t be in the Hall.

 

Hack Wilson and Jim Wynn + Your Questions + Horrible Baseball Article

 

So I added this section after doing a bit more research. These are people who I changed my mind about. I would also like to keep them in, because I put an hour’s research and writing into them. I gotta put them somewhere.

I also got a question about how Bill Freehan stacks up against Thurman Munson and Ted Simmons. I will answer it here.

 

Hack Wilson

WARPS-3.52 (Standard-2.27)

Hack Wilson was a centerfielder for the Cubs, Giants, Brooklyn Dodgers, and Phillies from 1923-1934.

Now, Hack Wilson’s WARPS is above the standard that I’ve set for the average Hall of Famer. This is true, but WARPS isn’t everything. This just won’t work in this instance because of his 1930 fluke season that produced him 7.4 WAR (Average without that season is 2.84, significantly less). Hack Wilson, before then, was a 20-30 home run a year guy that hit .300. This fluke season was one of the best offensive performances by anyone ever. He hit 191 RBIs, an MLB record, that season . But then, he dropped off considerably. He also was a bad defensive player, with a -7.2 dWAR, which is bad. Though, like Rogers Hornsby, his hitting stats ultimately outweigh his bad defense and make him a Hall of Famer.

 

Jim Wynn

WARPS-3.72 (Standard-2.27)

Jim Wynn was an outfielder who played for the Houston Colt .45s (Now Astros), Houston Astros, Dodgers, Braves, Brewers, and Yankees from 1963-1977. He was a 3 time All Star (1967, 1974, 1975).

Jim Wynn was an outfielder that played most of his career, including some of his best years, in the 1960s, thus suffering from the same things that Bill Freehan did, a lowered Batting Average and lowered hit totals as well as a lowered amount of offensive statistical production. He was a 3 time All Star who had a career OPS+ of 130 and OPS of .802. He was a really great hitter, he had multiple 5-7 WAR seasons, he just suffered from playing in the 1960s where pitching completely dominated hitters. Certainly one of the most underrated players in history, not a Hall of Famer, though.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Freehan Vs Simmons and Munson

 

So one of you asked how Bill Freehan compares with Ted Simmons and Thurman Munson, here’s my view:

 

In terms of WAR, pure WAR, Ted Simmons is the best with 50.4, Munson is second best with 43.4, and Freehan is worst, with 43.3. 

 

Thurman Munson definitely has the most awards out of the bunch (RoY, MVP, 3 Gold Gloves, 7 All Star appearances, 2 World Series Rings.) followed by Bill Freehan (with 5 Gold Gloves and 11 All Star selections) and Simmons coming up last (8 All Star Appearances, 1 Silver Slugger). Any one of these catchers you want on your team. 

 

Offensively, however, is where things are different. Simmons is most like the Hall of Fame Catchers Pudge and Carlton Fisk, and maybe the future Hall of Famer Joe Mauer. Munson is basically a Mike Piazza with a lower home run and hit total, and Freehan is a lot like Johnny Bench or Gary Carter (with lowered power).

 

Defensively, Freehan was the best followed by Munson and Simmons coming up last. None of them were a Johnny Bench defensively, but Freehan and Munson were close to a Gary Carter defensively.

 

All of them were in the top 3 catchers of their eras, (1960s for Freehan, Munson and Simmons were in the 1970s.)

 

I would probably rank them: 1. Munson 2. Simmons 3. Freehan, but they were players that should be or in the case of Ted Simmons, is already a Hall of Fame catcher. They all rank in the top 20 catchers to ever play in baseball. 

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Horrible Article

 

I found this gem while researching Tommy John:

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1093821-ranking-the-25-least-deserving-mlb-hall-of-famers-and-who-should-replace-them

 

This is absolutely horrible. I’d like your opinions of this article. I really don’t agree with anything except Mazeroski  for Grich. Other than that, the article is not very good.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wow, you did your legwork. I don't think anyone expected this level of detailed analysis when you made your original post; more of a spirited discussion than this. Thank you for your dedciation an insightful looks. I do agree Dewey must be in! 

May I break your heart and say that Trammell is already in the HOF?

Yep. I took everyone's criticism to heart on this one.

 

Trammell is in the Hall. I was ecstatic about that when I found out a couple years ago.

 

He's in that section because someone said that he shouldn't be in the Hall, and I gave my argument that he should.

 

Hope that you liked it.